NYC question? Kelly and Regis tix

[cindermom]

My 16 yo dd and I lucked out and got tix for Kelly and Regis! woo hoo! It will be the highlight of our trip for her. My question is: I want to reserve our tix for the NBC studio tour and I think it makes sense to do it the same day as K and R (I think the 2 studios are close together???) so how long is the K and R show, what time should I make our reservation for NBC tour? and do you think it is a good idea to do both the same day? Thanks for any advice!!! this is our first trip to NYC and we are sooo excited!

 

[cheshirekitty]

I worked at both places!!! I interned at Regis in 1998 when it was with Kathie Lee. The show is live and it ends at 10am. They usher you out of there soon after. I would say you would be out by 10:30 the latest.

I worked at NBC as a page and used to give the tours too. NBC is on the east side so it may take you a while to get there...I think a cab would be best. The NBC tours run all day long. What time of the year are you going? You may not even need a reservation.

I think that both on the same day are definitely ok to do. Another fun show you may want to consider is Conan O'Brien. He is so funny...tapes at 5:30pm.

Mandy

 

[bradk]

fun. i've actually been to a couple of Regis & Kelly tapings through my last job. the hard part is just getting there on time and even then, I was on the list.

ABC and NBC aren't right next to each other per se. A cab will get you between them. I believe ABC is at 68th and Columbus Ave and NBC is at Rockefeller Center which for all intensive purposes is 50th between 5th and 6th Ave. I'd probably give myself at least half an hour by car between the two, depending on traffic.

they'll also probably try to sell you on the Top of the Rock deal. haven't done it, but I hear it's a nice view and the line probably beats that the Empire State Building. I do know someone who got engaged up there though so it can't be all bad.

NBC is right next to Radio City Music Hall too which has some sort of tour program if you're interested.

 

[Snoozan]

We took a cab from near Rockefeller Center(actually Grand Central Station) over to Regis & Kelly last April when we got lucky enough to get tix. I think it ended up costing about $10 inc. tip. The trip itself was probably less than 15 minutes, but we lucked out and hit a row of green lights. I'd plan on getting to R/K by 7:00AM for a decent place in line - we got there about 7:30 and were quite aways back in line. Also, when you get into the studio(which is actually smaller than it appears on TV)DO NOT sit on the right side(facing the wall)several rows up(like 4 or 5). This is where the boom with the camera comes down and obstructs the view of the desk where R/K sit. It's okay to sit back about 1/2 way up or anywhere on the left side. We learned the hard way on this! If you sit on the center aisle, R/K do come up during commercial breaks to "visit". Have fun!

 

[bradk]

hmm.. good tip.. the left side (as you face it) is also where the musical acts perform. i'd probably opt for the middle if you're going just for the fun of it. as you go in, they'll hand adults blue cards with numbers on them (this is for the trivia contest - if you don't want to win, decline the card). you'll then be able to sit anywhere. they also allow use of cameras during the show, you just can't use flash. i've been to quite a few show tapings for various shows in NY and it is freakish just how small the real thing is.. it's that whole 10 lbs thing.

i also wanted to clarify. forgive me, but Grand Central Terminal is actually a bit further away than Rockefeller. It's on the east side, between Lexington and 2nd? (i don't go there often). around 42-44th street. which means the commute would have been quite a bit longer than going between ABC and NBC. unless PP meant Penn Station which is on the west side at 34th st.

 

[kritter]

OOH my gosh you will have a blast.


We went in May and I was the audience member who won the gift that day!!!!!!!!!

 

[cindermom]

You are all so helpful. Thank you so much!! I really appreciate the tips like where to sit at the show. (it reminds me of all the tips we get for trips to DW!)

This is a really big deal for my 16 yo dd and I. We usually do the camping and fishing thing with my dh and 2 ds's so we are looking forward to it. We are going to try to do everything in five days!
Day 1 (tues) hop on hop off tour bus - stop at ground zero to pay our respects, walk around in Central Park
Day 2 - Statue of liberty and Ellis Island and Grease in the evening,
Day 3 - Kelly and Regis, NBC tour, Rockefeller Center and Radio city.
Day 4 - Friday morning concert at NBC and then some of the other things we have missed like the Brooklyn Bridge and Staten Island Ferry and Central Park etc
Day 5 (Sat) shopping and people watching before we fly out at 5:30 pm.
Does our plan sound realistic? I would like to fit some museums in if possible and the Empire State Building and a water tour (included in our pass)

Any other tips or suggestions for us? We plan on eating hot dogs and bagels and pizza and lots of coffee drinks (we have about $70 in starbucks gift cards) any suggestions for good places to just sit and people watch?
Thank you

 

[bradk]

i dunno where you're staying, but you're literally all over the map.

the SI ferry is nice, but.. i'm not sure it's worth going out of your way for when you're in manhattan. also, it just makes more sense to go the world trade center on the same day you plan on going to the Statue of Liberty as they're both on the lower side of manhattan whereas central park is in the upper region. central park would be a good time to visit museums as you have the American Museum of Natural History (proud to have never considered Pluto a planet) on the west side and museum mile on the east side. not that i suggest doing both. and MoMa is near Rockefeller Center.

Rockefeller Center also is a good day for the shopping excursion since it's right by a 10 block stretch of 5th ave (including the World of Disney Store) that's pretty much synonymous with shopping.

We also have the world's largest department store (Macy's), world's largest Build-A-Bear (exciting, huh?), a Hershey's store, an M&M's World, the world's largest toy store (Toys R Us with the famous FAO Schwartz somewhere nearby), the world's largest Virgin Megastore, the famous Serendipity 3 (which is down the street from Dylan's Candy Bar, a 2 floor candy shop owned by Ralph Lauren's daughter), the Nintendo store and a while bunch of other stuff. the Loew's 68th street movie theater has an 8 story tall imax screen (with the movie ticket prices to match). MTV has a store near its studios. CBS has one near the Ed Sullivan theatre (where Letterman tapes). i'm just filled with afterthoughts.

 

[cindermom]

Great suggestions Bradk! It helps to know what is close to each other so we can plan our day out. That is why I want to do the tour bus thing first. The map makes it look like most of these places are fairly close but I know that can be deceiving. Everything I read says to ride the Staten Island Ferry so it helps to know that this might be worth skipping, especially if we are doing a water cruise.

We are staying in times square and we got the 3 day NYC pass and hop on hop off bus, which was expensive but I hope it will be worth it since we will be able to go see pretty much everything we want to see without worrying about how much each thing costs. We are not huge museum fans but how can we not go to at least one of your fabulous museums since we are there!

We want to shop for purses and heard that we should shop on canal street? Any suggestions about this?

 

[cindermom]

I worked at both places!!! I interned at Regis in 1998 when it was with Kathie Lee. The show is live and it ends at 10am. They usher you out of there soon after. I would say you would be out by 10:30 the latest.

I worked at NBC as a page and used to give the tours too. NBC is on the east side so it may take you a while to get there...I think a cab would be best. The NBC tours run all day long. What time of the year are you going? You may not even need a reservation.

I think that both on the same day are definitely ok to do. Another fun show you may want to consider is Conan O'Brien. He is so funny...tapes at 5:30pm.

Mandy

Mandy, I have a question for you. Do you think it matters what time we schedule our tour of NBC for? We are going next week. Is there a best time of day to go or does it really matter?

 

[bradk]

Canal Street is definitely a shopping experience. If you can't work it into your schedule though, you'll find plenty of knockoffs all over on the street, especially in Times Square.

if you're not a museum person, but want to hit one of them, there's really only 2 to visit - the American Museum of Natural History or the Metropolitan Museum of Art (depending on your slant). the AMNH is probably unlike any natural history museum you've seen with its collections (unless you've been to the smithsonian maybe). huge dinosaur exhibit as well. huge animal collection. attached to a huge planetarium.

i'm also a fan of the transit museum and the museum of the moving image, but those are in brooklyn and queens respectively.

 

[cindermom]

Bradk (great name by the way- my 22 yo ds is also a Brad!)
the museum tip is helpful. We did just visit the smithsonian last year so it is helpful to know that the Natural Mus of History is similar. I think the metropolitan MOA is a great idea. I just want my dtr to have the opportunity to view some of the great artists, since we are there. We definitely are not the type to wander through any museum for hours. We would much rather be strolling through Central Park or on 5th Ave. I can't believe how much there is to do. Funny thing - we have lots of Cultural activities in Seattle but we rarely go into the city to take advantage of them. It is much more fun to visit a new city and NYC sounds like so much fun! We are excited just to buy a hot dog from a street vendor and people watch. All the other stuff is like icing on the cake!
I really appreciate your help. Please let me know if there is anything else that would be helpful (ie: any great places for people watching?)

 

[cheshirekitty]

Mandy, I have a question for you. Do you think it matters what time we schedule our tour of NBC for? We are going next week. Is there a best time of day to go or does it really matter?

Most of the studios should be open all day...if you go within 2 hours of Conan's show though you probably won't get to see the studio. I would try to do it before 3pm or later in the evening after 7pm. Saturday Night Live doesn't start up until Sept so you should definitely be able to see that studio...it's the coolest! Keeps your eyes open too...you never know who you may see just walking around! Have fun!

If time permits, you should try to catch another Broadway show...nothing compares!!!

 

[PURTYPAT1]

i dunno where you're staying, but you're literally all over the map.

the SI ferry is nice, but.. i'm not sure it's worth going out of your way for when you're in manhattan. also, it just makes more sense to go the world trade center on the same day you plan on going to the Statue of Liberty as they're both on the lower side of manhattan whereas central park is in the upper region. central park would be a good time to visit museums as you have the American Museum of Natural History (proud to have never considered Pluto a planet) on the west side and museum mile on the east side. not that i suggest doing both. and MoMa is near Rockefeller Center.

Rockefeller Center also is a good day for the shopping excursion since it's right by a 10 block stretch of 5th ave (including the World of Disney Store) that's pretty much synonymous with shopping.

We also have the world's largest department store (Macy's), world's largest Build-A-Bear (exciting, huh?), a Hershey's store, an M&M's World, the world's largest toy store (Toys R Us with the famous FAO Schwartz somewhere nearby), the world's largest Virgin Megastore, the famous Serendipity 3 (which is down the street from Dylan's Candy Bar, a 2 floor candy shop owned by Ralph Lauren's daughter), the Nintendo store and a while bunch of other stuff. the Loew's 68th street movie theater has an 8 story tall imax screen (with the movie ticket prices to match). MTV has a store near its studios. CBS has one near the Ed Sullivan theatre (where Letterman tapes). i'm just filled with afterthoughts.

Hay Bradk,

You forgot Gray's Papaya LOL

 

[bradk]

well, depends on the broadway show ultimately, broadway just means someone poured enough money into it to get it there, it doesn't necessarily mean good. (off) off broadway is where plenty of good theatre is and it's where a few of the broadway runs come from (ave q and the putnam county spelling bee both started off broadway). but there are some good ones out there now.

just to clarify, conan tapes around 5 pm? even though it airs much later. all the late night talk shows do that except for jimmy kimmel, but that's in LA. when they are using it, studio 8H is used by SNL on thurs-sat only I think. but it's also used by Carson Daly to take multiple shows the other days.

another museum that gets a lot of hype is the tenement museum on the lower east side: http://www.tenement.org

you didn't actually say when you're coming in (did you?) but if you want an idea of what's going on around the time, you can check out nycvisit.com which has a calendar of events buried somewhere which should also cover museum exhibits.

you can people watch anywhere. while you're shopping on 5th ave, you can also check out St. Patrick's Cathedral which is also directly across from Rockefeller Center. if you don't want to go inside (it's noted for its architecture), the steps are a good spot to people watch. there's also a spot in columbus circle on the corner of central park that's good.

if you want to animal watch, central park (on the east side) has the central park zoo, erroneously portrayed in both Madagascar and The Wild (no lions there). it's the 2nd oldest public zoo in the country. and then of course there's the infamous bronx zoo.

 

[cindermom]

We are going next week. Fly out of Seattle on Monday nite and come home on Sat nite so hopefully that will give us enough time to at least get a taste of NYC.

You all are sooooooo helpful!!! I have had lots of practice preparing for our DW and DL trips but everybody on these boards is always so helpful for other trips, questions etc. I definitely feel better prepared and I will print out all your suggestions. I love the list of shops etc to check out.

We will definitely check out the possibility of an off broadway or another on broadway show. I guess my main concern is cost but who knows how long it will be until we get out there again. I do know about the tix place in times square and we will probably check that out. There are several shows I would love to see but I am just happy we got tix for Grease since that was how this whole trip started. My dtr is very excited about seeing it.(she loved the TV show)

Please let me know if you have any other suggestions.

Mandy, thanks for the input on the NBC tour. I think I will try to schedule around 1 pm since that would give us time to eat lunch etc. after the Kelly and Regis show. I am off now to see if I can sign up for that time!
Thank you! thank you!

 

[Boatingmom]

What about Madam Toussaud's Wax Museum? Might be fun too. FYI-All museums are discounted in NYC if you have the AAA card. Check therir site. You really should get a city map though. Sounds like a lot of backtracking and wasted time. You'll tire yourself out.

 

[gk90]

Just a couple of tips to add to all the other help you've gotten:

There's nothing much to see that's walking distance to ABC studios, it's not in a fun neighborhood. The Lincoln Center theaters and Juilliard school are about the most interesting sites and they're a 10+ min walk; there's not much going on there in the morning anyway.

The Metropolitan Museum is one of your best bets if you want your dtr to see a wide range of great artists BUT it can be overwhelming--like WDW you would need days to see everything that's worth seeing, so like WDW you have to have a plan. The best advice I was ever given on how to enjoy it is that it's like a supermarket so you have to have a shopping list. Also there's a suggested admission of $20 now--but you can pay what you want--they'll let the 2 of you in if you pay $10 or even $5 apiece. I knew someone who used to pay a quarter when the suggested admission was $8 (20+ years ago) and they had to let him in. If you decide to go for American Mus of Nat History it's also a suggested admission--some of the ticket clerks are fine if you pay less but others will give you a dirty look.

A couple of other favorite museums: if you want one that's small, intimate, beautiful and still has some great artists you could try the Frick Collection--it's in a 5th Ave. mansion that was a millionaire's private home. Or if people-watching combined with art is your thing you can go to MOMA (Museum of Modern Art), they have some great works like Van Gogh's "Starry Night" On Friday afternoons you can get in free starting at 4 pm (I think it's called Target Free Fridays, if Target is still sponsoring it), you have to line up for tickets around 20 min ahead but the line itself is fun if you enjoy seeing people from all over the world.

Finally here's a link that tells you what discounted show tickets you can expect to find at the TKTS booth:
http://www.tdf.org/TDF_SupportPage.aspx?id=51&do=v

Enjoy your trip! NYC is great fun!

 

[LittleMermaidsMom]

Hi,

We just went to NYC last month and had a great time..we did the hop-on hop-off tour and would definitely recommend it. In fact, we're going back next month.

Just a tip in case you're interested in seeing some other Broadway shows, a lot of the theatres will sell tickets for same day performances at a deep discount.. we were able to get front-row tickets for Wicked for $25. If you show up at the box office 2 1/2 hours before each show, you can put your name in for a raffle. They raffle off 26 sets of front row seats for $25/each. My daughter's name was chosen and we got 2 seats front row and center. It was a great show! My DD is only 6 and she really enjoyed it. You can get information about the raffle on their website.

Also, we went to Chinatown to look for purses but were suprised that the deals weren't as good as we expected. We had better luck in the area behind Canal Street and also in Times Square.

Let me know if you have any questions!

 

[bradk]

wicked does raffles now? i know ave q and rent do... i thought wicked only has a cancellation line. although the last time i checked was a long time ago.